Cookie-Dough Ornaments

Make It: Sweeten your seasonal decor by using tree ornaments made from cookie dough. You'll need four cups of flour, one and one-half cups of water, one cup of salt, clear protective food coating and ribbon. First, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Next, combine the first four ingredients. Knead the mixture into dough and roll out flat. Cut the dough into fun shapes using holiday cookie cutters, then place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. After removing from the oven, and while the cookies are still soft, use a knife to poke a small hole in the top of each. Coat the cookies with a clear protective food coating, thread ribbon through each hole and hang on the tree.

DIY Snow Globe

Make It: Start by picking up a clear glass or plastic ball ornament. Add a two-inch layer of artificial snow along the bottom, and then suspend miniature holiday figurines from the ornament's foil or metal cap using fishing line. Once hung, this simple, clear ornament takes on the appearance of a sophisticated snow globe.

Sweet Baby Shoes

Make It: Turn outgrown baby shoes into holiday ornaments by adding a four-inch section of rope or twine to the shoes' straps, and then tying two small knots to connect the pair. To hang securely, place one shoe on each side of a branch until they hang evenly.

Fabric Scrap Balls

Make It: Give a dated holiday ornament a charming touch using wrapped fabric scraps. First, cut linen or cotton fabric into 24-inch-long by one-half-inch-wide strips. Next, wrap the ornaments with the fabric strips, securing each end with hot glue. Layer the scraps around each ornament until completely covered.

Road-Map Snowflake

Make It: Cut thick card stock to size by tracing a snowflake silhouette with a marker, then update it with a light mist of spray snow. For a splash of color, an old highway map was cut to size, then folded accordion-style to add texture. Lastly, small brass ornamentation was added for a metallic touch.

Sheet Music Pinecone

Make It: Turn sheet music into pinecone ornaments by first cutting the sheets into two-inch strips with a paper trimmer. Then, use craft scissors to cut each strip into several two-by-one-half-inch pinecone scales. Next, hot-glue the scales onto two-inch foam crafting spheres, allowing the bottom edges of the scales to extend one-half inch lower than each sphere. Continue to layer the scales, one row at a time, curling the edge of each slightly upward. Once the final row of scales has been adhered to the top, add a small dollop of glue to the tip of each scale, then dust lightly with glitter. Hot-glue a knotted loop of ribbon to the top, then hang on the tree.

Sisal-Rope Spheres

Make It: First, buy round or egg-shaped foam spheres and sisal rope. Next, unfurl the sisal rope, then wrap around the foam sphere, covering its surface completely by securing with hot glue. Lastly, hot-glue a loop of ribbon to the top of the sphere and hang on the tree.

Felt-and-Thread Snowflake

Make It: First gather felt by the yard, along with ribbon, thread, a needle and crafting scissors. Using the bottom of a cup, trace a circle onto two stacked pieces of felt using a marker. Next, cut out the circles using fabric scissors, and then separate the two pieces. Trace the silhouette of a snowflake onto the center of one piece of the cut-out felt. Use a needle and thread to create stitches along the traced silhouette until the marks are completely covered. Next, insert a looped ribbon through the back side of the stitched felt, securing it to the top with hot glue. Finally, layer the second piece of felt on top of the ribbon, concealing the glued area, then hang the ornament on the tree.

Scrabble Letters

Make It: Add a playful touch to your tree with a Scrabble letter ornament. Spell out names or phrases with wooden letters, then apply to strands of ribbon or fabric with hot glue.

Button Snowball

Make It: First, gather buttons in various shapes, sizes and colors. Then, starting at the center of a three-inch foam sphere, attach the buttons by inserting a tailor's pin through one hole of each button until secured. Continue this process around the entire sphere, covering it one row at a time. Once the entire surface is covered, add a second layer of buttons to any sections where foam is still visible. Finally, tie ribbon into a loop, attach to the top of the sphere with a tailor's pin and hang on the tree.